Rear delt raise

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The rear delt raise, also known as the rear deltoid raise, or rear shoulder raise is an exercise in weight training. This exercise is an isolation exercise that heavily works the posterior deltoid muscle. The movement is primarily limited to the two shoulder joints: the glenohumeral joint and the scapulothoracic joint. Scapular movement will also cause movement in the sternoclavicular joint and acromioclavicular joint. If the elbow bends during the extension exercises, it gravitates into a rowing motion.

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Transverse forms

Movements for the posterior deltoid done in the transverse plane are also referred to by terms like rear delt fly, reverse fly, rear lateral raise, bent-over lateral raises or other variations. [1] Other muscles that aid the posterior deltoid include the two lateral rotators of the rotator cuff: the infraspinatus and teres minor. Other muscles such as the lats and middle delts can also come into action, dependent on how the shoulder is rotated.

To execute the exercise, the weightlifter attains a prone rib cage position. This is usually done by standing and bending over, or by laying face-down on a bench. Flat is ideal, though slight inclines can also be used. The arms hang straight down. The goal is to bring the arms to the side away from the body at a 90-degree angle. While leverage is most difficult with fully extended elbows, a slight bend is useful as it allows the lifter to maintain awareness of this.

This movement is commonly done using dumbbells to add resistance to the weight of the arms. It is mostly a joint isolation movement of the shoulder.

During the transverse lifts, the scapulae will also articulate and adduct/retract as the weights lift, then abduct/protract as the weights are lowered. Some lifters will retract the scapulae and hold them there, as opposed to letting them protract, to get a better stretch in the posterior deltoid. Muscles that retract the scapulae include the rhomboid muscle and the trapezius muscle.

Transverse abduction

The forearm should have a neutral grip, the back of the hand should be facing outward (laterally), turning to face away from the ground as the arm raises. The palms should be facing inward, moving to face towards the ground as the arms raise. Due to the external (lateral) rotation, the work is shifted forward and the lateral head of the deltoid assist the lateral rotators in transverse abduction. [2] The arms have the same orientation relative to the ground as in the "shoulder fly" which is done to target the lateral deltoid. The difference is that the angle of the torso changes, and the change in the shoulder's rotation and angle of movement relative to the body means the lateral head is a synergist rather than the prime mover.

Due to the lateral rotation, the elbows point inferior towards the lifter's hips throughout the movement, as opposed to pointing outward/upward as they do in transverse extension. Ligaments that stabilize and prevent deformation of the elbow joint are involved due to the angle of lateral force on the outside of the joint, much as medial forces on the inside of the joint are involved in transverse adduction (chest fly variations).

If the lifter does not lock the elbow, the lateral rotators (posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, teres minor) are also involved in preventing internal (medial) rotation. The more the elbow is bent, the more leverage gravity has pull the hand down and turn into a transverse extension angle. A bent elbow can allow greater weight to be lifted, and may shift the work of transverse abduction more heavily onto the lateral head of the deltoid as the prime movers work to prevent internal rotation.

Transverse extension

The forearm should have a neutral grip, the back of the hand should be superior and the palm should be inferior. The elbows should be pointed towards the scapulae. The Latissimus dorsi muscles aids the lateral rotators in transverse extension. [3] The anconeus muscles and triceps brachii muscles are involved isometrically in keeping the elbow straightened.

To keep the focus on the rear deltoid when lifting, it is imperative to keep the elbows away from the body and avoid torso movement, This ensures ideal isolation. The posterior fibers are usually undertrained for many and do not require heavy weights at first.

A compound variation is the bent over row done with a wide overhand grip that allows the elbows out, as opposed to the elbows-in lat-targeting variation. This is also referred to as a "rear delt row" as opposed to a "raise". Bodyweight/supine rows (or "australian pullups") can also be done with a wide overhand grip to target the rear delts. It requires less work by the lower back and legs to stabilize.

The above variation is most difficult when the muscle is maximally contracted, and allows both arms to be worked out at once. To emphasize the contraction in a stretched position using a weight, the arms must be worked unilaterally. The exerciser rotates the side he is working toward the ceiling and lies on the opposite side. The resistance meets its peak when the humerus is parallel with the ground. [4] To attain a similar effect, it is common to use a cable crossover variation to the rear lateral raise, which allows the angle to be done on both sides simultaneously and without lying on one's side, which can be uncomfortable for some people. [5]

Hyper extension form

Another option for doing a raise to target the posterior deltoid is hyperextending the glenohumeral joint. The lat is no longer an extensor at this point, so it is primarily the posterior deltoid and long head of the triceps that perform hyperextension. The range of motion for this is very limited, most people can't even hyperextend 45 degrees. This is also a static-active stretch for the anterior deltoid and biceps.

A compound variation is a behind the back row. This row, when performed with a barbell, has also been called a rear delt raise.

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The trapezius is a large paired trapezoid-shaped surface muscle that extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It moves the scapula and supports the arm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humerus</span> Long bone of the upper arm

The humerus is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a rounded head, a narrow neck, and two short processes. The body is cylindrical in its upper portion, and more prismatic below. The lower extremity consists of 2 epicondyles, 2 processes, and 3 fossae. As well as its true anatomical neck, the constriction below the greater and lesser tubercles of the humerus is referred to as its surgical neck due to its tendency to fracture, thus often becoming the focus of surgeons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latissimus dorsi muscle</span> Large, flat back muscle

The latissimus dorsi is a large, flat muscle on the back that stretches to the sides, behind the arm, and is partly covered by the trapezius on the back near the midline. The word latissimus dorsi comes from Latin and means "broadest [muscle] of the back", from "latissimus" and "dorsum". The pair of muscles are commonly known as "lats", especially among bodybuilders. The latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle in the upper body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoulder</span> Part of the body

The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula, and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deltoid muscle</span> Shoulder muscle

The deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the human shoulder. It is also known as the 'common shoulder muscle', particularly in other animals such as the domestic cat. Anatomically, the deltoid muscle appears to be made up of three distinct sets of muscle fibers, namely the

  1. anterior or clavicular part
  2. posterior or scapular part
  3. intermediate or acromial part
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The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise where a person presses a weight upwards while lying horizontally on a weight training bench. The bench press is a compound movement, with the primary muscles involved being the pectoralis major, the anterior deltoids, and the triceps brachii. Other muscles located in the back, legs and core are involved for stabilization. A barbell is generally used to hold the weight, but a pair of dumbbells can also be used.

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The upper limbs or upper extremities are the forelimbs of an upright-postured tetrapod vertebrate, extending from the scapulae and clavicles down to and including the digits, including all the musculatures and ligaments involved with the shoulder, elbow, wrist and knuckle joints. In humans, each upper limb is divided into the arm, forearm and hand, and is primarily used for climbing, lifting and manipulating objects.

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The push-up is a common calisthenics exercise beginning from the prone position. By raising and lowering the body using the arms, push-ups exercise the pectoral muscles, triceps, and anterior deltoids, with ancillary benefits to the rest of the deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis and the midsection as a whole. Push-ups are a basic exercise used in civilian athletic training or physical education and commonly in military physical training. They are also a common form of punishment used in the military, school sport, and some martial arts disciplines. Variations of push-ups, such as wide-arm push-ups, diamond push-ups target specific muscle groups and provide further challenges.

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The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped or triangular convergent muscle of the human chest. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles and lies under the breast. Beneath the pectoralis major is the pectoralis minor muscle.

A bent-over row is a weight training exercise that targets a variety of back muscles depending on the form used. It is often used for both bodybuilding and powerlifting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pull-down (exercise)</span> Strength training exercise

The pull-down exercise is a strength training exercise designed to develop the latissimus dorsi muscle. It performs the functions of downward rotation and depression of the scapulae combined with adduction and extension of the shoulder joint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of exercise</span> Overview of and topical guide to exercise

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to exercise:

The upright row is a weight training exercise performed by holding a weight with an overhand grip and lifting it straight up to the collarbone. This is a compound exercise that involves the trapezius, the deltoids and the biceps. The narrower the grip the more the trapezius muscles are exercised, as opposed to the deltoids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly (exercise)</span> Strength training exercise

A fly or flye is a strength training exercise in which the hand and arm move through an arc while the elbow is kept at a constant angle. Flies are used to work the muscles of the upper body. Because these exercises use the arms as levers at their longest possible length, the amount of weight that can be moved is significantly less than equivalent press exercises for the same muscles . Due to this leverage, fly exercises of all types have a large potential to damage the shoulder joint and its associated ligaments and the tendons of the muscles connecting to it. They should be done with caution and their effects first tested while using very light weights; which are gradually incremented after more strength is gained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dip (exercise)</span> Upper-body strength exercise

A dip is an upper-body strength exercise. Close grip dips primarily train the triceps, with major synergists being the anterior deltoid, the pectoralis muscles, and the rhomboid muscles of the back. Wide shoulder width dips place additional emphasis on the pectoral muscles, similar in respect to the way a wide grip bench press would focus more on the pectorals and less on the triceps.

The front raise exercise is used in weight training. It primarily works the anterior deltoid and the clavicular head of the pectoralis major through the use of arm abduction and flexion through the frontal plane. The training volume, or number of sets and repetitions performed, depends on the lifter's training program and goals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leg raise</span> Strength training exercise

The leg raise is a strength training exercise which targets the iliopsoas. Because the abdominal muscles are used isometrically to stabilize the body during the motion, leg raises are also often used to strengthen the rectus abdominis muscle and the internal and external oblique muscles.

A machine fly, alternatively called a seated lever fly or "pec deck" fly is a strength training exercise based on the free weight chest fly. As with the chest fly, the hand and arm move through an arc while the elbow is kept at a constant angle. Flyes are used to work the muscles of the upper body, primarily the sternal head of the pectoralis major. Because these exercises use the arms as levers at their longest possible length, the amount of weight that can be moved is significantly less than equivalent press exercises for the same muscles. Denie Walter is credited with calling it the Peck Dec back in the 1970s.

The face pull is a weight training exercise that primarily targets the musculature of the upper back and shoulders, namely the posterior deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, as well as the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles of the rotator cuff. The face pull is considered an important exercise for shoulder health and stability.

References

  1. ↑ Jim Stoppani (2014). Jim Stoppani's Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength. Human Kinetics. p. 333. ISBN   978-1450459747.
  2. ↑ Muscles used during transverse abduction
  3. ↑ Muscles used during transverse extension
  4. ↑ Lying rear delt raise
  5. ↑ Cable Rear Lateral Raise
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